Jackson Square

One of New York City’s oldest parks, Jackson Square Park has a long and rather obscure history. The triangular shape of the park is a result of the diagonal route of Greenwich Avenue, the oldest known road in Greenwich Village. Greenwich Avenue originated as an Indian trail and was called the Strand Road by Dutch colonists. Forming the other two sides of the triangle, Eighth Avenue and Horatio Street date to 1811, when the New York legislature approved the Manhattan street grid, known as the Commissioner’s Plan. This triangular parcel at Greenwich Avenue, Eighth Avenue, and Horatio Street appears without a name on the Commissioner’s Plan.